Overview

• Hong Kong's top judge, Chief Justice Andrew Cheung, and Secretary for Justice Paul Lam have defended the city's legal system amid international criticism over the trial of democracy activist Jimmy Lai.
• Cheung stated that the courts would not yield to pressure to convict or acquit in national security cases, and would respect fundamental rights.
• Lam condemned a 'Western country' for proposing sanctions on Hong Kong's legal profession, calling it an attempt to influence decisions in national security cases.
• The trial of Jimmy Lai, a leading critic of the Chinese Communist Party, is seen as a key test for Hong Kong's judicial independence under the national security law imposed by China in 2020.
• Both Britain and the United States have called for Lai's release, and a bipartisan group of US lawmakers introduced a bill to sanction Hong Kong judges and officials involved with national security prosecutions.